The Round Table Initiative to Classify Cell Phone Radiation

I have taken the liberty in copying some of Dariusz Leszczynski’s latest blog below because I think his proposal deserves wide consideration. However, I have serious doubts that his proposal for a round table discussion of the science between ICNIRP and the Bioinitiative authors would reach a consensus on anything other than venue. The fundamental issue is thermal and non thermal bio-effects. The fact is that ICNIRP membership is made up of so-called experts who have firmly staked their scientific (and in some cases financial) credibility on claiming that RF standards can only be based on thermal considerations. I see no way in hell that they will change this view.

This proposal reminds my of the Australian experience in trying to include differing scientific opinions in RF standard discussions. After the RF standards committee was disbanded because it could not reach consensus for a revised ICNIRP based RF standard, industry consultant David Black remarked in a Senate inquiry that:

In my opinion the support from Standards Australia during this time was particularly good, and the committee worked well. The limiting factor was the fundamentally flawed idea that a scientifically based document could be produced by a democratic process of requiring virtual consensus from a group which deliberately included people with inevitably dissenting views.

In other words, from an industry perspective if you want to maintain RF standards to your liking make sure committee membership is limited to those in agreement. This is what I have called The Procrustean Approach.

Having said this, however, I support the creation of such a round table discussion. Perhaps some good will come out of it. If nothing else however, at least it will give me lots of material to update The Procrustean Approach………

MELBOURNE, Australia, January 6, 2013 – The World Health Organization (WHO), in its advice for the governments around the world, relies on the evaluation of the scientific evidence performed by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).

In the case of cancer, it also depends on the reviews prepared by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

The last, full review of the scientific evidence performed by ICNIRP concerning radiation from cell phones and other devices was in 1998, and the first review of the evidence concerning cancer performed by IARC was in 2011. ICNIRP’s still standing conclusion is that the current safety standards protect all users of cell phones and other wireless devices, and that there is no health risk within the current safety standards.

SNIP

Evaluation of the scientific evidence by ICNIRP is constantly challenged by some scientists and by parts of the general public. The ICNIRP is a group of recognized scientists who use their expertise to evaluate scientific evidence. The ICNIRP came to world-wide prominence when it’s then Chairman, Michael Repacholi, was appointed the Head of the WHO EMF-Project. Since then, the WHO has relied on the reviews of the science performed by and safety standards recommended by ICNIRP for all its recommendations concerning cell phone safety

An often quoted ICNIRP’s “confidence problem” is caused by the procedure where ICNIRP members elect new ICNIRP members themselves. This gives an impression of a very exclusive “private club” that scientists can join only when invited by those who are already members. Additionally, the new members of ICNIRP are selected from among scientists who have very similar views on the issue of cell phone radiation safety as the current ICNIRP members.